A Simple Game
by Kari Ezumi
Summary: "It's really simple: you pretend to go out with me for three months. I won't touch you except for holding hands and a few hugs to prove our 'relationship'. Easy right?" That's what he said, and she agreed. HikaruxOCxKaoru
1. Ch 1: ANSWER YOUR PHONE

**Title:** ANSWER YOUR PHONE

**Word Count:** 469

***Summary:** "It's really simple: you pretend to go out with me for three months. I won't touch you except for holding hands and a few hugs to prove our 'relationship'. Easy right?" That's what he said, and she agreed. Looking back at it now, how did this happen—why did it happen? That's right; they both benefited from it. "After all, you get my brother and I get the girl, so it seems pretty fair, right?"

**Pairing:** Mainly HikaruxOCxKaoru with various pairings (you'll see ^^)

**Genre:** Romance, Drama, & Humor

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** language, possible OOCness (I will do my best to stay in character, but that's hard to do, since, well, I'm not Hatori Bisco), mild violence, and perhaps some spoilers IF you haven't finished the manga. Perhaps.

**A/N:** Hey people of the world! It's been a while since I wrote a fanfiction (I was busy, but lazy as well). I'm not sure if this will be finished—I never seem to be capable of such things—but we'll see.

Anways, I was rereading the Ouran manga and rewatching the anime (while waiting for more One Piece and Naruto) for some time. Then an idea popped into my head! _Oh! How about this?_ And well, this is how this fanfiction started. OHSHC is my favorite shojo manga—and this is out of the few shojo I like because most (if not all) cannot compare to OHSHC. Then again, that's my opinion.

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own OHSHC (any part of it). IT ALL BELONGS TO HATORI BISCO. What I do own it my deviation from the actual manga/anime plot (AKA, this fanfiction) and the OCs that will show up.

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><p><em>Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! Beep!<em>

"_You have one missed call."_

_Beep!_

"_You have one new voicemail."_

_Beep!_

"_Y'know Haru-chan, you need to learn to pick up the phone, 'cause I _do_ have something important to say. You're probably going to school, or sleeping through this. Do you even glance once at your phone? I know you do, but, can you learn to be near the phone when _I_ call? Geez. And if you're there Ranka-san, hey! How are you? I'm sure you and Haru-chan are doing fine. I'll probably be around more often, and nee-san says 'thanks'. _

_Since you're probably going to hear this message before Haru-chan, can you tell her to call me back after listening to this message? I should also inform you that I'm going to transfer to her school. Anyways, good luck at work Ranka-san! Bye!"_

_Beep!_

~X~

The large, spacious halls were empty and the light poured through the tall windows, revealing the dancing dust circling around and around. There was no sound, save for the light steps muffled by the plush red carpet. Soon, those muffled steps echoed throughout the deserted halls as they went down the tiled halls of the top floor of the South Campus.

They steps turned into the North Corridor, the pace steady and slowly, curious steps wandering through uncharted territory. Soon, it stopped and the tips of worn mary-janes faced the thick double doors of the last room at the end of the corridor. Then, a hand reached out to the cool metal of the handle, and gently pushed down and forward.

A blinding light gushed through crack.

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><p>Short right? I know, but originally, the first (although, this is technically a prologue) and second chapter didn't flow together nicely, so I just decided to split it up (yeah, it didn't sound good even when breaking it up with the <em>~X~<em>). Anyways, reviews are always beautiful and accepted. Constructive criticism is ALWAYS accepted, because there's always room for improvement.

Once again, I make no promises on finishing this fanficiton, as it is a side thing for me and my life will become much more busy once the second semester comes around. Anyways, review please. :) What did you like? What didn't you like? What can I improve? Got any plot ideas that you want to share? Reviews are just like jewels: pretty little things that radiate with light as they make my face light up as I "hold" them in my hands.


	2. Ch 2: Through that Door

**Title**: Chapter 2: Through that Door

**Word Count:** 1090

***Summary**: "It's really simple: you pretend to go out with me for three months. I won't touch you except for holding hands and a few hugs to prove our 'relationship'. Easy right?" That's what he said, and she agreed. Looking back at it now, how did this happen—why did it happen? That's right; they both benefited from it.

**Someone leaves a message for Haruhi, and we explore the Ouran High School grounds and end up at the Third Music Room. Who called and what's behind that Third Music Room door?

**Pairing**: Mainly HikaruxOCxKaoru with various pairings (you'll see ^^)

**Genre**: Romance, Drama, & Humor

**Rating**: T

**Warnings**: language, possible OOCness (I will do my best to stay in character, but that's hard to do, since, well, I'm not Hatori Bisco), mild violence, and perhaps some spoilers IF you haven't finished the manga. Perhaps.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club in any way shape or form.

**A/N**: I was so happy to see there are reviews and favorites and alerts (you get the idea)! Thank you for taking your time to read this little piece! I wonder if I could pull off updating once a week (I kind of doubt it, but I'm on break now—yay!)…

Without further ado, here is the second chapter—perhaps the official first chapter, or whatever you want to interpret this.

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><p>There is an abandoned music room that nobody uses anymore, until a certain group came along. To get there, you go into the South Campus and go to the top floor, and then you take a turn and walk down the North Corridor until you get to the end. There, behind those large double doors, will be the swirling roses carrying a sweet fragrance and seven handsome boys waiting for your arrival, dearest client.<p>

They are poised with alluring smiles and various costumes if not their uniforms. Then with one word, you are drawn into their magic: "Irrashaimase!"

"Those wherewithal—first in social standing, second in money—spend their time here, at Ouran Private Academy. As such, Ouran Host Club is where handsome boys with too much time on their hands entertain the girls, who also have too much time on their hands. It is the school's own personal, elegant playground for the super rich." –Suoh, Tamaki, President of Ouran Koukou Host Club (1)

_The Host Club is open for business._

"Dear ohime-sama," The blonde leaned forward as he gracefully took a lock of brown, wavy hair between lithe fingers, and then brings it to his nose to take in the sweet scent. "You always seem to have the sweetest aroma."

"Oh Tamaki-san," the girl replied with pink tinting her cheeks. "That's probably my shampoo my father brought me from Paris."

Said person only smirked into the hair and glanced up, dark blue eyes meeting with dark brown eyes. "You must be lying, because this is truly your natural scent, as you are practically a bathe of fragrant flowers—and I would always love to bathe in you, fair maiden." (2)

The girl turned red and promptly fainted into Tamaki's arms, with surrounding girls squealing with joy.

Across the way, two twins were entertaining their designated female clients. "…we were playing soccer outside, but then Kaoru fell! You should've seen his face!" Hikaru (the older twin) laughed with a wide grin.

Kaoru (the younger) pouted and looked away with a downturned gaze. "You're always so mean to me Hikaru; always making fun of me." Kaoru remarked sadly with tears in his eyes.

Hikaru took Kaoru's chin, forcing the younger twin to look directly into the amber eyes they reflected. "I only meant to say that you were so adorable—then again, I think I wouldn't want anybody to see that cute side to you."

Once again, several more girls fainted in their seats from the excitement.

"Takashi! Takashi!" called the short blonde, who was currently running towards the towering black-haired young man. The short blonde held up the plate of a strangely shaped cake, significantly resembling a rabbit. "Look at this cake! It's shaped like Usa-chan!"

Takashi, commonly known as Mori, glanced down and smiled gently. Then, he nodded let Hunny hug him—and oddly, without dropping the cake.

Haruhi gazed at the other members of the Host Club, standing by Kyouya with a tea tray in one hand. "It seems like club activities are going well today," Haruhi commented as she watched everyone go about their business.

Kyouya glanced at her and smirked. "I guess you can say that."

"Excuse me Haruhi-kun," one of the two girls started as they approached the two hosts. "Would you like to eat sweets with us?"

Haruhi turned to them and shook her head. "Gomen, but I don't like sweet too much—but seeing you girls eating it with smiles on your faces is nice."

The host club magic strikes again as it draws in two more girls.

_Click!_

Everyone glanced at entrance, curious as to who would enter through that door so slowly. It's unusual for guests to come after it opened, and to open the door as if they were afraid to what's behind it. Once it opened wider, the entrance revealed a small girl about Haruhi's height, with dark hair in a tight, low braid, and glare of her glasses hiding her eyes. It was quite obvious who she was, because she didn't wear the school uniform; instead, she wore a the long-sleeved button up under a gray, boyfriend-styled cardigan, a navy blue, pleated, knee-length skirt, and worn mary-janes (obviously polished so it wouldn't reveal its age) with ankle-high socks.

The little girl jumped a bit as she noticed the mistake she made: she entered at a bad time to talk to just one person. "Sumimasen…I shall be going now…" she quietly apologized, embarrassment apparent on her face.

"Now, now," Tamaki started as he approached the girl. "You shouldn't back away from us, our dear, newest client." However, she kept backing away as she tried to leave without looking like an utter fool.

Haruhi set the treats on the table by the twins and glanced up from her spot. She widened her eyes in realization upon who was at the entrance and called, "Chisaki!"

Said person frantically looked about the room for the source of the call. At last, her dark eyes finally landed on Haruhi and Chisaki gave a crooked smile. "Konichiwa Haru-cha—I mean Haru-kun." Chisaki greeted shakily.

Haruhi strolled over to Chisaki and asked, "What brings you here? I thought you'd be outside, in the library, or in the classroom."

Chisaki flashed a sheepish smile and began scratching the back of her head. "It's…complicated." The ebony-haired girl glanced around nervously, feeling the uncomfortable gazes on her. "Well, how about I talk to you later, okay? It seems you're busy…"

"Hey Chisaki!" the twins suddenly shouted as they popped out—of from seemingly nowhere—and slung arms around her shoulders. "Did you want to play with us?" they asked in perfect harmony.

"It's fine if you stay; you were probably lonely, right?" Haruhi questioned.

The small figure wriggled out of their grip, earning curious gazes. "I'm fine," she replied with an apologetic smile. She stepped back a bit at the entryway, resting her hand on the doorframe and her other arm tightening the hold around the worn journal.

"Why are you so shy koneko-chan?" Tamaki asked as he approached Chisaki again with an extended arm, welcoming Chisaki. "You are always welcomed here, so you don't have to be afraid." He took her hand and brought it to his lips, as he was about to kiss it in his usual friendly gesture—note, he was _about_ to do it.

What came next was all shocking and quick, flashing before everyone's eyes: she suddenly flipped the poor blonde hard on the floor and disappeared in a blur out the door.

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><p><strong>AN:** (1) I actually had to watch the anime again for this part, pausing it every so often to type it all down. (2) Okay, so I pretty much winged this one, basing it all off what the usually do. I was about to make them cosplay (like they always do), but I decided otherwise when I realized how hard it would be (I wonder how Hatori Bisco could stand researching all that). So, I will rarely have them in different cosplay unless suggested by others (you, the readers), if I think of an easier one, or from the original plotline—as I sais earlier, I'm deviating form the plotline, but not way off into outer space because that'll be too hard.

So, Chisaki (my OC as you can obviously tell) is officially introduced! Now, I bet you're wondering what's up with this chick and her suddenly flipping Tamaki and her (I guess) "strange" personality switch—if you recall form the voice message. Well, all will be explained further in the next chapter, so on and so forth.

As always, reviews are always welcomed and loved. It brightens my day. :)


	3. Ch 3: Are we Not Men?

**Title**: Chapter 3: Are we Not Men?

**Word Count: **902

***Summary (so far)**: Chisaki enters the Third Music Room and meets the Host Club. Then, she suddenly flips Tamaki. Why? Who is Chisaki?

**Pairing**: Mainly HikaruxOCxKaoru with various pairings (you'll see ^^)

**Genre**: Romance, Drama, & Humor

**Rating**: T

**Warnings**: language, possible OOCness (I will do my best to stay in character, but that's hard to do, since, well, I'm not Hatori Bisco), mild violence, and perhaps some spoilers IF you haven't finished the manga. Perhaps. I honestly doubt it—so if you didn't finish, FINISH IT NOW.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club in any way shape or form.

**A/N**: Ah! I apologize deeply for not updating for the LONGEST time, but I have my reasons (besides the fact I was pretty much lazy), but it's that time of year again—it's track season! I'm in track, so…yeah. Also, I have a buttload of homework I must attend to (reluctantly). Sigh. However, as you may recall, I did mention this fanfiction would not be updated regularly. So yes, I'm horrible. Also, you might have that sudden urge to kill me for this chapter ('cause it's so short). He…he? _

Anyone want to suggest what they should cosplay as for the next time? Also as a side note, this story starts around a week or so since the beginning of a new school year.

tsukiryu16: You mean the English dub for Shippuden? If you mean the English dub, I can't get around watching that after hearing the Japanese one (Japanese anime voices are always better in my opinion). But I completely understand where you're coming from when it comes to releases of manga amd anime; it takes a while. Times, like these, I wished my school had Japanese so I could learn it.

angel2u: This chapter should explain things. :)

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><p>Due to a certain incident, the Host Club closed early, saddening the clients and Kyouya; he lost some of his business because of it, thus no profit—not like he would ever admit it. Now, they were all having a short meeting about the earlier event. Well, they were trying to have a meeting, but the president was in his depression corner because he was so ashamed from being rejected by a girl. After all, he's never been rejected—save for Haruhi and Renge, but they don't count.<p>

The rest of the members stood some distance from Tamaki, still a bit shocked about what happened to him. "I kind of feel bad for Tono," the twins commented in harmony. "Never thought there would be a girl that would actually reject Tamaki in such a manner."

Haruhi gave an apologetic smile. "She didn't mean to hurt him," she stated. "Tamaki-senpai was just unlucky enough to approach her when she reached her tolerance level."

"Huh?" the twins questioned in harmony.

Haruhi rested her chin on her fist, thinking about her answer. "Now that I think about it, she must've felt pretty uncomfortable when she entered, because everyone was looking at her; she's not very good with that sort of attention. Other than that, she's quite easy to get along with."

"You seem to be very good friends with the new transfer student, Haruhi. As I recall, she just transferred here today from Higashi Koukou, ne?" (1) Kyouya remarked, his eyes and scribbling hand never leaving the page.

Haruhi glanced to Kyouya and nodded. "Hai. Most of the students from my middle school went there, and Chisaki is one of them. However, she enrolled in the scholarship program with me, but she had to attend a family reunion of some sorts, thus there some complications with her enrollment. I guess it got settled."

"I see…"

The twins popped up beside Haruhi, resting their arms on her head. "So, Chisaki's pretty much really bashful and can't talk to strangers properly?" they questioned in harmony.

"Hai," Haruhi replied.

The twins shrugged and went to Tamaki to play—but we all know that means _torture_—with him. "How boring," they commented with apathy. "We though it was going to be more fun!"

Haruhi only stared at them with an angry tick at her temple. _Those immature brats._ She shook off the thought and began heading out the door.

Hunny and Mori noticed her leaving, and thus Hunny inquired in his innocent, curious voice, "Where are you going Haru-chan?" Mori nodded in addition.

Haruhi glanced behind to make eye contact with the two 3rd year students. "I'm going to pick Chisaki up. It's already after school, and it's getting late. She's very impatient, and the last thing I would want is to upset her." The Host Club boys recalled what happened to Tamaki and shuddered. Haruhi was at the door already and waved her farewells to the group. "Also, if you se Chisaki again, try not to scare her. She's like a frightened puppy."

_Creak! Click!_

With that, Haruhi was gone for the day.

The twins strolled over to the couch, bored form "playing" with Tamaki. They plopped themselves onto the couch in harmony and scoffed, "How can she be a frightened puppy? After what we saw today, she's probably a scarier monster than Hunny-senpai! And if what Haruhi said was true, than Chisaki must be a tsundere."

"Eh? How am I scary?" Hunny whined. Mori nodded in addition again.

Kyouya adjusted his glasses and held the clipboard under his arm. "Whatever the case, this friend of Haruhi's might spell trouble for the club. She could potentially destroy the reputation, and thus disband this club if any more of those events like earlier were to occur again."

Tamaki rose from his corner quietly, hovering over the couch above the twins. Everyone looked over to Tamaki and waited for him to say something. Of course, they believed he would probably spout something stupid, but they all loved him (unfortunately) and let him continue with his ways. Tamaki gripped the couch dramatically, staring into each member present with all seriousness. "How could you say all this? Are we not hosts—noble men that tend to the troubled hearts of all women? Are we not their knights in shining armor that go down on one knee and help them down from their horses so they won't fall? Are we not _men_ that glue the broken pieces of a fair maiden's heart _and_ help them in their times of need? Tell me, why should we push away a commoner like Chisaki just because she may be a little awkward when socializing? We are the host club—no, the _Ouran Koukou Host Club_! And we shall accomplish this next mission without fail: we will make Chisaki less socially awkward and make her into a maiden fit for a princess!"

At this, the heads of Tamaki, the twins, and Hunny—and of course in the background, Mori was standing and Kyouya was writing in his folder—came together in a huddle with lighting and all those wonderful effects emphasizing the single scene at the moment.

_We shall initiate plan: "Cinderella's Pumpkin to Grand Chariot by Midnight"!_

"Time for another of Tamaki's fanciful schemes—I probably should call the hospital just in case things go wrong." Kyouya stated as he walked away from the ridiculous group.

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><p><strong>AN**: There goes Tamaki and his not-so-bright schemes, with Hunny and the twins following in suit-bringing Kyouya and Mori along, of course.

Has anyone read the play _Pygmalion_? Well, if not, it's about this man whose learned in the "arts of language" (that's how I put it-but he just studies the different tones of speeches of different places) and decides to take this poor girl in because of a bet he made with a friend: if he can pass her off as a Duchess (or something like that) by a certain time, he wins the bet. Yeah, it kind of sounds like the boys' plan for Chisaki, doesn't it? (I just realized how similar it sounded after I finished typing this up). You guys should read _Pygmalion_. It may be classic literature, but it's pretty funny, so read it.

As always, R&R. :)


	4. Ch 4: First Phase

**Title**: Chapter 4: First Phase: Persuade Cinderella into Attending the Ball

**Word Count:** 2112

***Recap:** The Host Club boys made a plan, and now it's time to execute it. How will poor Haruhi and Chisaki cope?

**Pairing**: Mainly HikaruxOCxKaoru with various pairings (you'll see ^^)

**Genre**: Romance, Drama, & Humor

**Rating**: T

**Warnings**: Possible OOCness. There better not be any spoilers. It's TOO EARLY for any. :D

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club in any way shape or form. Hatori-san is forever the owner of such a wonderful series. :)

**A/N**: WOOT! WOOT! THIS ONE IS MORE THAN A THOUSAND WORDS! IT'S A MIRACLE! You have to agree, this is pretty long compared to previous chapters. :)

I just realized, but I think I didn't curse a whole lot (if any) during the past chapters. WELL, that's about to change pretty soon! :D

…And, I also realized I made a few very stupid mistakes in the last chapter. If you read the last one when I first put it up, you'll understand (I accidently mixed up the characters for different stories). -_-'

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><p>It was strange.<p>

It was _ridiculously_ strange as Haruhi and Chisaki passed through the halls. How so? Well, wouldn't it weird if you could feel the piercing eyes of some shadows as you walk around _everywhere_? That's how the two girls felt as they passed through the day. However, every time they glanced behind, the gaze would just lift for the moment, as if nothing was really there. However, when they returned their gazed forward, the eerie feeling returned.

But Haruhi kind of figured what—or should it be _who_—was responsible for such a thing.

It was lunchtime, and the two decided to eat in the classroom with their homemade, delicious bento_._ That was when Haruhi's suspicions lifted a little as the twins sat down with them and ate—well, with their own food they brought form the cafeteria. "So Chisaki, how do you like the school so far?"

Chisaki glanced up from her food and gave a small smile. "It's a very nice school with…interesting people. I think I would enjoy it over here."

"That's great! So, how was the reunion?" Haruhi inquired.

Chisaki could feel the pressuring gazes of the twins and only smiled. "It was interesting to see everyone. However, I do hope they pick a better time to schedule such an event. They really need to consider other people's lives—especially us younger generation who need to attend school in order to go down a path where we will obtain stable jobs, and thus stable lives." She explained all this with careful selection of words, just so she wouldn't blow her cover yet. She still needed to get adjusted to this life, and she needed to adjust herself in a way where she'd encounter the least amount of problems. Yeah, she didn't want to go through another miserable experience, such as the one several months back during junior high. Never again will she allow herself to get into such a situation again. "I'll fill you in on the details later! First, we need to finish this lunch! Can't have any of this food wasted!" And thus, she returned to her food and ate in an elegant manner with the other following in suit.

The twins were thoroughly confused with Chisaki. First, she was shaking from nervousness, then she flips Tamaki, and then she's affable and sweet. Maybe Haruhi was right about her being bad with crowds, and _just_ crowds—well, any number greater than four people. They almost felt bad about continuing with Tamaki's plan for her, but they were bored. Thus, the plan seemed very entertaining. So now, they had to follow through with the plan and initiate the first phase: persuade Chisaki to come to the Host Club after school. AKA, the First Phase: Persuade Cinderella into Attending the Ball.

~X~

"_Okay men! We shall execute plan 'Cinderella's Pumpkin to Grand Chariot by Midnight' tomorrow, but we must set up everything today before we leave the clubroom!" Tamaki announced._

_The twins looked up to the blonde and raised their hands in sync. "But Tono, how are we going to go on with this plan without the main actor? She's probably not going to enter the clubroom after what happened."_

_Their words were sharp like daggers, piercing Tamaki's heart._

"_Yeah Tama-chan! She's probably going to avoid you at any cost because you scared her. Ne, Takashi?" Hunny explained further with Mori nodded in agreement._

_Several more daggers pierced through Tamaki, killing his spirit further._

"_Further more," Kyouya started as he pushed up his glasses. "…we'd only trouble Tetsuya Chisaki-san, as she seems to have a job after school. She's apparently working in a café in they city everyday except Mondays and Thursdays. And since today is Thursday, she was able to visit Haruhi here and wait for her after school."_

_The twins gave Kyouya two questioning looks. _How the hell does he know that? _they thought._

_Kyouya looked up form his folder and smiled at Kaoru and Hikaru. "Naturally I'd know about our clients, hosts, and people related to our clients and hosts. Isn't it best to know the relations of people so we may better our services?" His smile radiated, but everyone knew better that it was smile of the Demon King._

Did he just read our minds? _the twins thought with alarm._

_It seemed that Kyouya's attack killed Tamaki, as the tall blonde was currently lying on the floor in a pitiful state, with his soul leaving from his mouth._

"_T-tono?" Kaoru and Hikaru called as they tried to reach for their president. "A-are you—"_

_However, there was no need to ask such a question as Tamaki would shakily get up, supporting himself with his hands as he stood up slowly in the most dramatic way possible—after all, it _is_ Tamaki, and it was very dramatic. "How could you…" Tamaki whispered._

_The rest of the present Host Club watched Tamaki in curiosity. "How could you all hurt me so? Do you hate me that much?"_

_The twins shrugged. "Meh," they said while the rest averted their eyes._

_Tamaki was struck dumb, and then turned around. He was kneeling on the ground and clasped his hands up in prayer, looking up past the ceiling at some invisible figure. "God, please, help this broken family of mine!" Tamaki shouted with rivers of tears pouring from his eyes._

"_Before your melodramatic depression gets any worse, I would like to inquire as to _how_ exactly we're going to lure Tetsuya-san here. As we all have stated earlier—before your stupidity rose to another level of absurdity—Tetsuya-san will stay away from the clubroom from now on." Kyouya stated, catching Tamaki's attention. "I'm guessing she figured we would have her compensate for the damage she's done today. Quite smart to understand that fact, thus making this little plan harder to execute; she'd probably make up excuses to "_

_Tamaki smirked, posing with his chin in the crook of his thumb and index finger. "Naturally I prepared for such a thing!" Tamaki declared with assurance. He pointed to the twins, who saluted him in response. "Kaoru, Hikaru! Both of you must execute the First Phase: Persuade Cinderella into the Attending the Ball!"_

"_Understood!"_

"_You will convince her to come to the clubroom after school tomorrow! We don't have customers that day, but neither Haruhi nor Tetsuya-san know this! At lunch, use whatever means you have in order to get her here, and make sure Haruhi doesn't know of this plan!"_

_Everyone sweatdropped. _So he doesn't have a plan to persuade her…

~X~

Now how to execute the First Phase…

That's when they noticed a small container with some brownies in it. A devious grin briefly shown on the twins face, which Haruhi unfortunately saw—but of course, she pretended she never saw it as she refused to get caught up in one of their shenanigans. She learned that anything with those two—or anyone in the Host Club—would exhaust her and possibly scar her. "You like sweets, ne?"

Chisaki glanced to the two boys and stared at them for a moment as she processed their question. Finally, she swallowed her food and nodded with a smile. "Hai!" she replied. "They're very delicious—so I don't really understand why Haruhi doesn't like sweets much."

"I do like them to a certain point, Chisaki. However, unlike you, I don't eat them almost every single day." Haruhi remarked with a slight pout.

Chisaki opened her mouth to retort, but realized what she would say would ruin Haruhi's cover—not like anyone else was in the room, but walls have ears. "We'll continue this later."

Hikaru and Kaoru placed their elbows on the desk and rested their chins on their palms, leaning in a bit and looked up at Chisaki. "Ne, ne, why don't you stop by the Host Club after school? We Have sweets, and I'm Hunny-senpai would love to have someone to cake with."

Chisaki show a look of surprise, keeping her hands at her mouth in a delicate and elegant manner. "Oh my!" she exclaimed. Then, she dropped her hands and titled her head to the side slightly with a small smile. "Thank you, but I would cause trouble to you all. I assume what I did yesterday caused you boys to close up early, and profit for Ootori-senpai—that's his name, right—to be cut. I also assume that your dear president—Suoh-senpai, correct—was most likely depressed."

Hikaru and Kaoru looked away with a sheepish smile. _She hit the bull's eye,_ the twins thought. Then, they quickly turned back to Chisaki and Haruhi with smiles. "Don't worry about it! I'm sure they would forgive you!" _Well, Kyouya-senpai is another case…_

"Plus, it would be too expensive—and I would not be able to frivolously spend my money on such matters because of my situation. As I recall, the cost of each appointment with a member is 2,000 yen (1)? I can't even afford the uniform, which costs 300,000 yen (2)—and that's just for one set. Someone, such as myself, shouldn't spend my money on it when I can't even buy the uniform." Chisaki explained further with a serious expression.

_Th-that's also true,_ the twins commented in their heads, feeling more discouraged about persuading her. "Oh don't worry about the costs! You'll be a free guest today!" they assured with an uneasy chuckle.

"That's sweet of you guys—and would be nice to hang out with you all—but I have matters I must attend to as well; I need to spend my time wisely if I want to ever accomplish anything in life, a skill I must learn."

Hikaru and Kaoru averted Chisaki's gaze and grimaced. _It's impossible. She's absolutely right_.

"Ah, but Chisaki, you said you didn't have work today, ne? I believe you were given the week off—that's what otoo-san heard from Sayuri." Haruhi questioned.

"Well, it wouldn't matter, because I still have other work to do at home that requires my immediate attention—and Haruhi, you know very well what I have to do." Chisaki stated darkly, causing the twins to shake a bit in fear. Just as sudden as her dark aura appeared, it disappeared as Chisaki put up a bright smile. "So Hitachiin—"

"You can call us by our first names," the two boys interrupted in sync.

"Right. So Kaoru-kun and Hikaru-kun, how are the both of you? Anything particularly interesting happening?" Chisaki inquired good-naturedly.

The two looked at each other before turning to Chisaki and Haruhi. _Well there is the plan…_ "Nothing too fun," they replied. _Kyouya-senpai was right, this is hard._ Kaoru and Hikaru glanced at each before they glanced at the food in front of them. _I guess it's time for our last resort._ With that thought, they suddenly flipped the bento and container, causing all the food to flying to Chisaki.

Miraculously, only the she evaded the ambush of food by scooting to Haruhi's side. However, the twins made sure their plans would not be foiled, and decided to "accidently" throw the katsu sauce at Chisaki.

"Kaoru! Hikaru!" Haruhi shouted as she got up in anger.

The twins stood up after the sauce hit Chisaki's shirt, pretending to be concerned and very apologetic about the act. "Gomen Chisaki! We didn't realized what we were doing until it happened!" they apologized fervorously. They maneuvered around the desks and Haruhi and "helped" Chisaki. "Let us help you," they stated with evil glints in their eyes. But of course, they "accidently" spilled Chisaki's iced tea on her lap. "Ack! Gomen!" They reached for some napkins, but two hands stopped them from reaching further.

They looked down and saw Chisaki looking down, her bangs shadowing her eyes, making her give off a deadly aura. Then, she looked up with smile, which dissipated the killing intent. "Oh, you guys don't have to worry about it! I'll manage somehow!" Chisaki replied pleasantly.

"But we insist, let us help you!" they replied, struggling to reach for the napkins—AKA, something else to ruin her clothes. Surprisingly, Chisaki's grip was stronger than expected. They stopped reaching for something as an idea "suddenly" popped into their heads. They pounded one hand once as "realization struck them". "We know! How about we lend you some clothes, and _after school_, you can return them after we get these clean!"

Chisaki was about to speak up, only to be stopped by the two boys.

"Let's get you changed! And then after school, you can meet us in the clubroom to get your clothes back!"

Chisaki gave a crooked smile. "Ch-chotto matte—"

"Off we go!"

"_Wait_!"

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><p><strong>Side Notes<strong>:

Refer to Ch. 75 in the series. Kyouya mentions that each designation of a member is 2,000 yen. This is approximately $25 as of 6/3/12 (the values fluctuate).

Refer to Ch. 1 in the series. It was mentioned when Haruhi was putting on the uniform because the Host Club found out that Haruhi was pretty good-looking and had Host Club material. 300,000 yen is approximately $3,780 as of 6/3/12 (once again, the values fluctuate).

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><p><strong>AN**: Oh those devilish twins… No wonder why Tamaki put them up to the First Phase. ;P

If you guys have any questions on anything, feel free to ask! Because honestly, I think there might be a few now or in the future. Also, if you guys spot any mistakes, LET ME KNOW. I don't have a beta, and I don't check them (yeah, I probably should, but I'm lazy :P).

Until next time! :D


	5. Ch 5: Second Phase

**Title**: Chapter 5: Second Phase: A Gown Fit for a Ball Pt. 1

**Word Count:** 2398

***Recap:** First Phase: Mission Accomplished. What will the Second Phase be?

**Pairing**: Mainly HikaruxOCxKaoru with various pairings (you'll see ^^)

**Genre**: Romance, Drama, & Humor

**Rating**: T

**Warnings**: Possible OOCness.

**Disclaimer**: You guys know it, I know it. Only idiots wouldn't know it (this site is called for a reason). Bisco Hatori-san owns OHSHC.

**A/N**: In this chapter, we get to see a little of Chisaki's background, but not much. Next chapter, we'll finally get to see her in a different light. And we also get to see a bit of romance—a very small tidbit. Woot! Yeah, there's going to be no romance for a while after this chapter and a few upcoming chapters. And about the drama—yeah, that's not coming until SEVERAL chapters later, because we need to get into the swing of things. Yeah, so more humor than anything else…hehe… And you guys should be proud of me, I actually read this over this time. XD Oh silly me…

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><p>Kaoru and Hikaru successfully capture their target and hurried off to somewhere to get her changed. As they threw her and the spare clothes in the changing room, two of their maids (1) maneuvered their way in before the door slammed closed. Then, Kaoru and Hikaru stood outside as posted scouts, surveying the area and trying to make it seem natural—but of course, this wasn't natural, and passer-byers just decided to ignore their antics, lest they want to be involved (which of course, nobody wants to be).<p>

Haruhi finally caught up and bent over, supporting herself by resting her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. Never in her life had she ran this much, and believed there would be more chases such as this in the near future. She shivered at the thought.

When she finally caught her breath, she stood up straight and looked at the twins. "What are you guys doing?" she questioned furiously.

The two boys glanced at each other and shrugged. Then, they shooed Haruhi away, pushing her gently towards a different direction. "Now, now, this isn't anything to be concerned about."

"_Let me go!"_

"_Hold still!"_

"_It's just going to take a bit of time!"_

"_Ah!"_

_Crash!_

Shouts, crashing, and tearing—which Haruhi didn't want to know what—could be heard inside the room, causing Haruhi to doubt everything they said and will say.

"That sounded very concerning," Haruhi stated, causing the two to give brief, sheepish smiles.

"Don't worry about anything," they started with grins. "Chisaki-chan is in capable hands—"

"What capable hands? She was kidnapped by the likes of you two." Haruhi retorted with criticizing eyes.

"That hurt a little, Haruhi." the twins remarked sarcastically.

_Click!_

The door slowly opened, gradually revealing Chisaki in a new school uniform, down to her shoes. "U-um, so, do I look weird?" she questioned shyly with a light blush.

The three companions gazed at Chisaki, and then the twins let go of Haruhi—who ungracefully hit the floor, unfortunately—and gave four thumbs up. Honestly, they didn't think the dress would work well, considering how plain she seemed to be. It fit quite well on Chisaki and didn't shorten her (already small) stature. She looked quite adorable, but of course, a few touches here and there would make her look even better. "You look great—but…" the twins started as they approached her. Once they stood next to her, one twin on each side, they held out an eyeliner, lip gloss, eye shadow, and a red ribbon.

Hikaru held out the red ribbon and circled behind her and tied the ribbon around her head like a headband, knotting it in an intricate bow at the side of her head. "This should…" Hikaru continued.

On the other hand, Kaoru circled in front of her and held her chin with one hand, while holing the makeup in the other. He then lightly brushed Chisaki's lips with his thumb, causing Chisaki to blush one shade darker and tense from the touch.

Then, Chisaki looked into his eyes and noticed how his amber eyes said, "Close your eyes, so I can put on your makeup". She closed her eyes. She could feel the gentleness from his application of the makeup, as if he were a professional—which Haruhi recalled some time earlier, they claimed they were such (1). "...fit you perfectly." Kaoru ended.

"You can open your eyes," the twins whispered into her ears.

She did as she was told and looked at herself in the mirror that appeared before her. Chisaki was pretty amazed by the sudden transformation. She didn't wear makeup because it was a hassle and all, but it was nice on her. She noticed how the twins (Kaoru) winged the eyeliner, used brown eye shadow for a natural effect, and used a light pink lip-gloss (which she thought tasted faintly like cherries). She went to touch the intricate bow in her hair, pushing it down and letting it bounce back up. She looked different and she felt different.

With a small smile, she thought, _These two are like magicians._

Haruhi got up from the floor when they were making adjustments on Chisaki, and was currently dusting herself off. When she finally looked up, she saw Chisaki and the twins in front of her, Chisaki almost like a whole different person. The twins gave large grins. "Chisaki, you look great!" Haruhi commented happily to her friend. She could see that Chisaki was pretty happy as well, knowing how Chisaki didn't have much chances to be like other girls and wear makeup.

"And as you can see, Haruhi…" Hikaru started as he wrapped an arm around Haruhi's shoulders.

"…she was _very capable _hands." Kaoru finished as he wrapped an arm around Haruhi's shoulders as well.

Haruhi sighed in defeat. She knew they were right, and decided no to say anything more.

Soon, the twins pulled out handkerchiefs (from God knows where) and started crying tears of joy into the cloth. "It's another great masterpiece (2)," the remarked merrily into their handkerchiefs.

_I take back what I thought earlier_, Haruhi thought. _They're still immature brats_, she thought further upon hearing their comment about "another of their masterpiece".

It seems they were done crying, since the handkerchiefs mysteriously disappeared and they looked up with smiles while resting their elbows on Haruhi's shoulder. "But honestly, we really didn't have to do much, since she would look a good amount of cute. After all, Chisaki's figure is pretty proportional and toned nicely—despite being short and flat-chested—"

Chisaki almost fell over from the sudden insults about her body. _I'm so sorry I'm short and have a flat-chest_, she thought while pouting inside.

"—and since she has smooth skin, we didn't have to put on foundation or anything; her eyelashes are pretty long and curled nicely too, so no mascara was needed. Her eyes are also big, surprisingly because we thought they'd be smaller without those unfashionable, large, dorky, lame, thick glasses." They briefly turned to Chisaki. "Do you even need these glasses, and where did you get such a horrible thing?"

Chisaki continued smiling, attempting to hide her boiling fury from the continuing insults. _It's not my fault. You can blame by damn sister for "accidently" breaking them before school started, so I had to rush to the convenience store and buy that cheap shit. _Chisaki thought angrily.

Haruhi was well aware of Chisaki's patience waning as the twins kept spouting offenses without any consideration of Chisaki's feelings. She almost felt bad for the two oblivious boys. Almost. Just _almost_. She figured they would deserve whatever Chisaki would dish out (when she did) because they persisted with their attacks on Chisaki.

"And lastly, Chisaki has great hair: it doesn't lack in shine, it's straight, thick, no split ends, a nice, natural ebony color, natural highlights to boot, and long. It's great that her hair is healthy and all…"

Chisaki softened her menacing aura upon the compliment, hoping (in vain) that they'd stop there.

But of course, it's the twins, so they must have more to say when it comes to judging people's appearances (3). "…_however,_ without that ribbon, she would look like a Ju-on (4) or Sadako (5) because she most likely wouldn't be aware that her hair was shrouding her face. Plus, putting it up in a braid might make her look too old-fashioned and plain. We would probably curl her hair, but it's too thick and long, so it'd probably fall out of the curls and go back to being straight, despite how much hairspray, mouse, and gel we put; that's too much effort, only to be wasted. And forget about putting it in a ponytail or pigtails. Too lame and plain for an already plain and unfashionable girl."

When they finished their little rant about Chisaki's appearance, they looked over to Chisaki with oblivious and (not so) innocent smiles. They failed to notice Chisaki's fury (which Haruhi could see) almost bursting at the seams.

Miraculously, she composed herself and flashed the two boys a bright, sparkling, overly amiable smile of a gentlewoman. Haruhi smiled crookedly, knowing well that smile only masked evil intentions that Chisaki must be suppressing. "Is that so?" Chisaki questioned (not so) sweetly. "I never realized such things. My, you two must be experts." Chisaki commented innocently (sarcastically).

For some reason, Hikaru and Kaoru trembled a bit, remembering Chisaki's smile from somewhere—but they couldn't place it. So, they decided to think that the menacing whatever-it-is wasn't coming from Chisaki, but from somewhere else. It's impossible to think that such a seemingly sweet and shy girl like Chisaki emitting such foreboding rays.

"Masters, here is Tetsuya-san's clothing," the two twin maids stated in a monotone voice. They bowed as they gave Kaoru and Hikaru Chisaki's clothes in a fancy, little paper bag.

Kaoru and Hikaru took it. "Got it. We'll see you both back home later today." Kaoru stated.

Chisaki jerked her head up and reflexively reached out for her clothes, but failed to notice the distance between her and the twins: it was just out of arm's reach by a mere centimeter, her fingers barely grazing the bag. She almost fell to the floor, but caught herself in time.

Kaoru and Hikaru smirked. "Now, now Chisaki, we said you could get this at the end of the day when you meet us in the clubroom. _We expect you to be there_."

Chisaki paled.

"Well, we'll see you there, unless these clothes mean nothing to you. Sayonara!"

Chisaki paled even more and fell into a state of utmost depression and shock. And thus, she screamed in anguish, letting out the longest string of profanities ever known to man, with poor Haruhi there to comfort her dear friend and direct all passer-byers away from the scene.

~X~

She was mad—no mad was an understatement. At the moment, Chisaki was _furious_. Today, all she wanted was to pass through the day smoothly, without coming into contact with the Host Club—save for Haruhi, since she is Chisaki's only friend over at Ouran.

She knew for a fact she'd have hell to pay after what happened yesterday; she wasn't stupid. After all, she could never forget that murderous aura (who she recalled as) Ootori Kyouya-senpai was emitting. There was no mistaking that frightening feeling—and if Haruhi had to be their dog and later join as a host to repay her debt, there's no telling what Ootori-san had in store for Chisaki.

Just thinking about it made her blood run cold and sent icy shivers rushing down her spine, and then back up, only to repeat several times. She was scared shitless.

Thus, the plan to avoid the Host Club (and anything and everything related to it) was born. The only problem: Hitachiin Kaoru and Hikaru.

Chisaki picked up their devilish expression every now and then, and could practically see the little horns and tails on their person since the first time Chisaki met the twins. However, she chose to ignore their mischievous airs, pretending to be oblivious to their playful ways; she didn't want to end up being involved with them too deeply because of their personalities. From what she deduced, she'll end up getting hurt by associating with those twins too much.

Yet, why the hell were _they_ of all people joining lunch with Haruhi and her? They didn't bother about getting closer to Chisaki in the first place, but what's with the sudden change? _Then again, the whole day has been pretty weird. Why do I have this bad feeling?_ Chisaki thought as she suddenly felt tired.

Chisaki sighed as she walked through the halls with her new get-up: the standard girl's uniform for Ouran, the ribbon, and the makeup. Remembering what happened earlier made her feel weird, but she ignored it. It was probably the fact she hated being touched, and those twins (and their maids) invaded her personal space. _That's exactly why. I hate it when people are in my bubble. _she thought for reassurance.

She sighed in exhaustion. After all, she knew something was up the moment she arrived at school; those piercing stares, lurking shadows, the twins joining Haruhi and her for lunch, the sudden invitation to the Host Club for free—and she had the feeling she'd have to pay for the free invite later—the sudden barrage of food—courtesy of the Demonic Duo, as she now dubbed them as—and lastly, the mysteriously handy spare of clothes and (not so) overly kind twins. Yes, something was definitely up, and Chisaki wasn't so stupid as to waltz right into a pitfall.

She _could_ always go home without retrieving her clothes and get Haruhi to pick them up for her, but she rather get herself entangled in the thorns vines of the Host Club than face the wrath of her sister, Shizuko: a demon when angry. If her sister found out that the clothes she gave Chisaki were dirtied within the first week of usage, and she borrowed clothes from others without getting her original clothes back, Chisaki would be screwed a thousand times over. Plus, if she went with the option of getting Haruhi to pick it up and give it to Chisaki at Haruhi's home, Chisaki wouldn't even be able to go because her eldest brother, Akihiko, would rebuke every excuse Chisaki came up with for coming home late and visiting Haruhi. He'd probably make Chisaki the villain in the situation.

At last, she was standing in front of the Third Music Room. With one more sigh, she pushed open the doubles doors reluctantly, believing she would see the several gatherings around the various hosts. However, she was surprised to find nobody in the room except for the Host Club. What's more, there was a vanity with various products and an accompanying chair for hairdressing towards the back of the room. On one side were various racks of expensive, name brand clothing, accessories, and shoes. Then on her right, was a table fit for dinner with the Queen of England. And of course, the actual members were posing at their usual spot for greeting their guests.

"Irrashaimase!"

Second Phase: A Gown Fit for a Ball.

Starting now.

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><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

(1) Remember their twin maids that weren't fazed by their little elephant prank (refer to Episode 15). Yeah, they appear here! :D

(2) Refer to Ch. 1 of the manga. When the Host Club give Haruhi a makeover, the twins are cutting Haruhi's hair and state they are professionals.

(3) Just in case, remember that they are the sons of a "famous" (in the series) designer, Hitachiin Yuzuha. And since she's a designer, it would make sense that they know a lot about fashion and like, thus they would be able to point out a person's good and bad physical aspects.

(4) You guys know the movie, _The Grudge_? Well, the (original) Japanese version is call _Ju-on_ (which means grudge). It's scarier (that's what I think, especially since I was stupid enough to watch all the movies -_-).

(5) You guys know _The Ring_? Well, the little girl in the American version is actually named "Sadako" in the (original) Japanese version. I never watched the movies, and don't plan on it.

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><p><strong>AN**: Poor Chisaki-chan, being kidnapped by the likes of the Demonic Duo for Tamaki's scheme (the twin's amusement). As always, you guys are the pearls in my oysters with your wonderful reviews. XD


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